This invention relates generally to the automatic detection of buried objects and, more particularly, relates to an apparatus for using time domain, electromagnetic reflectrometry on digging equipment for detecting such buried objects.
Hydraulically powered shovels, such as a backhoe which fits on the back of a tractor, are commonly used for digging trenches and other excavations. Such backhoes are used extensively at building and road construction sites for new construction and repair. Periodically, however, such digging results in the accidental damage of gas, electric, water, sewage, telephone and other utility lines. The damage may be due to careless operation, failure to obtain proper maps, the inaccuracy of maps, or movement of the buried objects from their original positions.
Unfortunately, such mishaps account for several fatalities yearly, much inconvenience to residents who are temporarily denied such utilities and economic loss due to the high cost of repairing the lines and resolving damage disputes.
There is, therefore, a need for a system which can automatically detect potential hazards and prevent the disasters which can result from the breakage of buried utility lines. Such a system may be designed to signal the presence of imminent danger, to automatically stop the motion of a backhoe shovel or other tool, to provide a display which is indicative of characteristics of a buried object or to provide combinations of these three functions.